21 APEC members form tourism master plan

SEOUL, Korea (PNA) - A large-scale international conference opened at the

COEX Convention Center here from July 4-8 to discuss ways to boost the

tourism industry.

SEOUL, Korea (PNA) – A large-scale international conference opened at the COEX

Convention Center here from July 4-8 to discuss ways to boost the tourism industry.

Organized by the Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the First Asia-Pacific

Economic Cooperation (APEC) Tourism Ministerial meeting was attended by about 300

people, including tourism ministers, vice ministers and senior officials from 21 APEC

member countries. Korea was awarded the venue for the First Tourism Ministerial

Meeting at the 12th APEC Tourism Working Group (TWG) held in Mexico in 1999.

Under the theme “APEC Tourism 21/21: Challenges and Opportunities for Tourism in

the Asia-Pacific Region”, the participating countries at this meeting explore ways to

promote tourism among the member countries in the 21st century.

The Philippine delegation, headed by Tourism Secretary Gemma Cruz-Araneta,

included undersecretary Evelyn Pantig and Atty. Raly L. Tejada of the Department of

Foreign Affairs. Philippine Ambassador to Seoul, Juanito P. Jarasa and Sunny M.H. Cho,

market representative, Philippine-DOT, Korea were on hand to meet the Philippine

delegates.

The member countries adopted the “Seoul Declaration on APEC Tourism Chapter”

which reflects a collective commitment to improve the economic, cultural, social and

environmental well-being of APEC member economies through tourism. The Charter

establishes four key policy goals for economies to foster the development of tourism

and enhance its contribution in the APEC region which are as follows:

Remove impediments to tourism business and investment by promoting and

facilitating the mobility of skills, training and labor; productive investment in tourism

and associated sectors; removing regulatory impediments to tourism business;

encouraging liberalization of services trade related to tourism under the General

Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).

Increase mobility of visitors and demands for tourism goods and services in the APEC

region by facilitating seamless travel for visitors; enhancing visitor experiences,

promoting inter- and intra- regional marketing opportunities and cooperation;

enhancing society and security of visitors and fostering a nondiscriminatory approach

to the provision of visitor facilities and services.

Sustainably manage tourism outcomes and impacts by fostering ecologically

sustainable development opportunities across the tourism sector, particularly for small

and medium-sized enterprises, employment and providing for open and sustainable

tourism markets; protect the social integrity of host communities with particular

attention to the implications of gender in the management and development of

tourism.

Enhance recognition and understanding of tourism as a vehicle for economic and

social development by harmonizing methodologies for key tourism statistical

collections; consistent with activities of other international tourism organizations;

facilitating the exchange of information on tourism between economies; promoting

comprehensive analysis of the role of tourism in member eonomies in promoting

sustainable growth.

The ministers also adopted the establishment of a tourism information network and

tourism satellite account agreed to take immediate actions for the implementation as

of the next APEC TWG to be held in October this year in Morelia, Mexico.

Korean President Kim Daejung during the opening ceremony appealed to APEC member

countries to designate North Korea as a tourist destination and a partner for

cooperation and “broaden people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding with

North Korea.

Tourism Secretary Araneta said the First APEC Tourism Minister Meeting is a good

opportunity for the Philippines to broaden its horizons especially in the Pacific Region.

“We have concentrated on other markets. I think it’s about time that we look now

and see how we can join hands with our neighbors around the Asia-Pacific and

participate in the development of tourism during the Pacific century,” Araneta said.

Araneta stressed that the Philippines is really a primer in transport relations together

with Mexico and some Latin American countries because from the 16th century until

1821, the Philippines conducted the Manila Galleon trade which was really the first

trans-Pacific enterprise, adding “with these historical antecedents, we are again

retaking our role in this trans-Pacific relations. But in this century, we can do it not

only through trade but also through tourism.” (To be continued)